I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Why is Thomas Jefferson standing next to this American born Jesus?  I'd expect him to be in the upper left (and right) corner sticking his tongue out at what this pic represents.  It might be fun to analyze what is actually going on with this painting, character by character......insulting.

I haven't seen this American Jesus art, but maybe they're all playing poker?

You think that painting is off the rails, check out his follow up called Obamanation. He's definitely one can short of a six pack.

Yes, delusional.  A judge?  A judge really has this artist's One Nation Under God hung in his office?  I'd call for impeachment.

If the holiday has religious significance to an individual, it will remain religiously significant to them, no matter what the secular world may do. Christmas has great religious significance to me, but I don't feel threatened at all. To me, it is all about family, and the birth of Jesus. I go to church on Christmas-no one is telling me I can't do that. My faith would be a shallow faith if I gave it up because someone wished me "Happy Holidays". 

I also don't feel the need to force my faith upon people who choose not to believe as I do. Maybe that's the difference between me and some others.

Notself-I can't stand "Little Drummer Boy". My least favorite Christmas song. 

Mary

Kam170, 

Where ever religion becomes part of government, both suffer.  It is the combination of religion and government that made people leave Europe and come to America.  I just hope the judge realizes this.

The lion and fawn picture is a montage - that is clear...BUT there is a beautiful real-life story of a lioness who adopted an abandoned fawn after she lost her cub. Ultimately, the little fawn died of starvation because it could not suckle, but the lioness was at its side and did not eat anything until the fawn was gone. She was apparently traumatized at the loss of her own little one. The story was told in a documentary entitled "The Heart of a Lioness."

Christmas: I love Christmas and the Christmas spirit and values of giving. I am a cultural Christian (Episcopalian-turned-atheist on one side and catholic turned agnostic on the other side, my formal education being Anglican and then secular). I am an atheist who finds all talk of God and all inclusion and exclusion of certain religions a whole load of gobbledigook and believes that this "One Nation Under God" thing is nut case-ness. But I can't decide what is more bewieldering - that it should have been coined or that we should fight so much about it. Can't get myself too heated up when I 'don't believe in talking snakes' to begin with (to steal a phrase from Christopher Hitchins).

Probably offended everyone with the above remark.

Happy Holidays is what you say when you cannot ascertain that the person the wish is directed to celebrates Christmas. It is the polite way to express the sentiment in public so as to include everyone, as we are all affected by the holidays anyway.

Merry Christmas is what I love and prefer to say to those who I know celebrate Christmas. The phrase conjures up the spirit for me, personally, and it brings together happy childhood memories and a very specific set of cultural norms that happen to be mine.

I would not take offence if someone were to say "Happy Channukah" to me. Not at all. The person is sending me good wishes, for which I owe a thank you. Similarly, if someone says "I will say a prayer for you," I will be thankful to that person for keeping me in her thoughts.

My "advice" if I had a child would be "don't get too militant and PC about these things. Think of it more as an expression of god manners and respect. Don't slap yourself on the face if you inadvertently wish a non-christian a Merry Christmas - just apologize and amend you words. Similarly, if someone wishes you a Happy Kwanza, for Heaven's sake, don't rake her over the coals and make a federal case. Smile and thank the person for his good thoughts.

I so wish we could de-politicize these issues and stop letting them hijack our national agenda. One can always dream.... Old fashioned tolerance and civility should rule. You say "Happy Holidays," for the same reason, IMO, that you should address a stranger as Ms./Mr. xxxx NOT by their first name, let alone a nickname  you think they should have(Grrrr!!!!). Respect differences. Respect privacy, don't make assumptions and don't be pushy.

And with that oh-so-PC balance of gender, religion and Miss Manners-like advice, I take me and my God-less, carnivorous tail with tuft off to see if I can catch some minutes of sleep before the sun rises on yet another long work day.

....and a Dali:

Love Dali, Athena.  My DH was a cab driver when he was in graduate school at Columbus.  He had Dali in his cab once.  Said he looked just like the pictures.

Incredible, Alexandria!

I say Jesus was most probably either black or very dark given his place of birth.The Mormons are not alone in twisting the tale. The Christians have done so for centuries with impunity. We have also cast him in gilded halos.

And Mary? She could be modeling one of Elie Saab's 2012 Spring/Summer couture dresses. The wife of a carpenter. Ridiculous.

Alexandria, speaking of surrealists, I also love de Chirico - especially this:

My point was that the legacy of Jesus has been twisted into something it is not. He was rich on the inside as was Mary - not on the outside. Too bad the Vatican never got that memo and have, for centuries, shrouded themselves in riches, power, obstruction of justice and secrecy instead. The opposite of what Jesus was.

In a culturally diverse society, it is both polite and considerate to wish those you don't know well, "Happy Holidays".  The word Holiday is a derivation of "holy day".  

I'm not an art connoisseur (but ask me about classical music!), but I'm enjoying the educaation I'm getting here!  I remember the first time I saw da Vinci's Mona Lisa in the Louvre -- and was amazed at how small it was, but also how mesmerizing.